


A Nautical Adventure

by VanHelsing019



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Little Mermaid AU, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, Modern Setting, Nice Uther, Surfer Arthur, Will add more tags as I go, You Have Been Warned, and most likely will be in chapters following it, merman merlin, there is smut in chapter five
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-16 22:23:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3504947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanHelsing019/pseuds/VanHelsing019
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A classical tale about a human falling in love with a being from what is said to be myth. Arthur loves the ocean and tries spending every minute he can, at the beach with his friends. When a bout of surfing goes sour, Arthur is rescued by a mysterious stranger with the bluest eyes he has ever seen...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Meeting of Circumstance

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fic I wrote a while ago (when I first started writing) and decided to rewrite. Let me know what you think ;)

** Prologue **

****

 

“Arthur, make sure to stay where I can see you, all right?” Uther yelled after his six year old son, while lounging on a beach chair underneath their large umbrella.

 

“Don't worry Daddy, I won't go too deep,” said Arthur, running towards the water with his little bodyboard tucked under his arm.

“Be careful, son. You might act like a fish when you’re near water, but you can’t swim like one yet,” Uther smiled, watching as his little boy ran towards the rolling waters of the surf.

  
It was a beautiful sunny day. The ocean water was just the perfect temperature, where you didn't freeze your arse off if you swam for more than 10 minutes. Arthur waded into the water until he was waist deep, before he started trying to catch a few waves to ride to the shore without success.   
  
“Hey, little brother, are you having fun?” his older sister, Morgana, asked as she came towards him.

 

“Yeah, but the waves at this end of the beach, aren't as good as the ones way in the back,” said Arthur, where he floated on his board.

 

Morgana smiled kindly, “Well then, come with me and we'll see if we can’t remedy that,” she said, taking him gently by the hand.  
  
“No, Gana, you know I can't swim, and Daddy said I should stay close to shore,” Arthur protested, pulling his hand from her grip, his little features scrunched up with trepedation.

 

“Don't worry little brother, I won't let you get hurt, I promise,” she smiled, holding her hand out towards him again.

 

“O-okay,” Arthur replied reluctantly, taking her hand and letting her pull him into the deeper water, while he happily floated along behind her on his little board.  
  
“Alright, Arthur, here comes a big one. Let’s ride it together,” Morgana said excitedly, positioning Arthur in the right direction. She could bodysurf quite well without a board and didn't bother bringing hers with her. “Okay one, two, three... go!” she yelled as they both started to paddle with their arms.  
  
She managed to catch the wave, letting it carry her all the way to shore. Unfortunately for Arthur, he couldn't paddle hard or fast enough and just floated over the water dune, before it broke into a froth of white bubbles as the wave rolled towards shore.

 

Arthur started to panic, feeling the current pulling him deeper and deeper towards the open water. “Gana! Help me! I can’t paddle fast enough,” yelled Arthur, kicking his feet and paddling rapidly with his little arms, trying to move back towards the shore, before a rogue wave knocked him off his bodyboard.  
  
He surfaced, flailing his arms as he tried staying above water, swallowing seawater in the process, before another wave washed over him, slamming his board against his head. Arthur felt himself sink deeper under the water, the Velcro band from his board having detached from his wrist, letting the horrible thought of his board probably being the only thing his father and sister were going to find rolling to shore.  
  
He suddenly felt two arms grab him from behind. They felt small, as if they belonged to someone his age, a thought quickly discarded, feeling that they were moving through the water towards the surface faster than he knew was possible for a child, and experiencing some relief before his world went dark and he blacked out.  
  
“No no, come on stay with me, little fish.” Arthur heard a little boy’s voice say, feeling him put his ear against his chest. He was lying on the sand near the surf, the water lapping at his feet. “There it is,” the boy exclaimed happily, “You’re not dying today. Your heart beats like that of a true warrior’s,” said the little voice.

 

Arthur suddenly felt something being pulled in his chest, moving up and out of his lungs, as if it was being commanded. He convulsed lightly before coughing violently, as the water he had swallowed left his airway, allowing fresh air to enter freely again. “There, that feels better now, doesn't it?” the boy stated.

 

 Arthur tried opening his eyes, squinting a bit at the bright sunlight, before they adjusted and the boy’s features came into clear view.  
  
Before him was a boy with short raven black hair, the bluest eyes Arthur had ever seen, along with very big ears on the side of his head. Ears that seemed to have a thin fin-like webbing at the edge of the ear shells. He was smiling at Arthur just as they heard the sound of voices yelling Arthur’s name.

 

“I suppose it’s you they're looking for.” he said, looking towards the direction of the voices, “I'm sure we'll meet again. Bye... Arthur.” said the boy, smiling kindly before disappearing just as Morgana showed up. Arthur sat up slightly, realising he was lying on the beach between the rocks and tide pools.  
  
“Dad! Dad, he’s here! I found him!” Morgana yelled, running to her little brother’s side. “Arthur, are you okay?” asked Morgana, pulling him into a tight hug.

 

“Where is he?” Arthur said groggily.

 

“Dad’s on his way, Arthur,” Morgana replied.

 

“No not Daddy. The boy,” he said sitting up straighter.

 

“Boy? Arthur, what boy?” asked Morgana, confusion etched on her face.  
  
“The boy who had saved me,” Arthur said looking around, just as Uther came towards them, followed by a few curious and concerned bystanders.

 

“I think you swallowed a bit too much sea water, little Brother.” said Morgana as Uther kneeled down beside her.  
  
“Arthur, my little boy, you’re alright,” said Uther, sighing in relief as he wrapped his large arms around Arthur in a tight, loving embrace. “You scared the living daylights out of me,” Uther stated, putting one of his big hands on his son’s small shoulder.

 

“I-I’m sorry, Daddy, I didn’t mean to go so deep,” Arthur sniffled sadly.

 

“Oh no, my strong little man, there’s no need to cry.” Uther comforted, using his thumb to brush a stray tear away from Arthur’s cheek “Are you alright?” he asked, pulling Arthur into another hug.

 

“I'm fine, Daddy.” Arthur replied, returning the hug.

 

“I think we should get the life guards to give you a quick once over, just in case,” he said, giving his son a kiss on the forehead, “Then we can all get some ice cream on the way home,” Uther grinned, seeing a small little smile spread over Arthur’s face.

 

Uther saw Morgana looking worriedly at her little brother. He touched her shoulder reassuringly, earning him a nervous smile. It was clear Morgana was still in shock.

 

“We're getting you to go for swimming lessons, first thing come Monday. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something had happened to you,” said Uther, picking Arthur up into his arms.  
  
“Come on, let’s go see the life guards medic, just to be a hundred percent sure,” said Uther, walking back to the main beach with Arthur in his arms and Morgana at his side. Arthur looked over his father’s shoulder just in time to see the raven haired boy waving at him, before he dove underwater, a little blue and gold fish tail popping up behind him, before disappearing beneath the waves.


	2. We Have To Stop Meeting Like This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place 12 years later... Let me know what you think ;)

Arthur made his way towards his locker after the final school bell had rang, signalling the end of another school day at Avalon High and the start of the weekend. “Hey, Artie got any plans later?” asked Gwaine, one of his closest mates, as he caught up to him.

 

“Swimming practice was cancelled for today, so I was thinking of heading down to the beach and catching a few waves,” Arthur shrugged, grabbing the books he needed for homework.  
  
“That’s cool. Me and some of the others were thinking the same thing, actually,” said Gwaine, adjusting the strap on his backpack.

 

“Hey, do you wanna catch a lift with me? I’m heading there right now,” Arthur offered, shutting his locker door and putting its lock in place.

 

“Sure, it would beat having to wait for Lance and Gwen to get back from their after school make-out session,” Gwaine joked.  
  
Without wasting time, they walked towards the large school parking lot, loading their school bags in the back of Arthur’s land rover. “Geez, Artie, you never go anywhere without your surfing gear, do you?” Gwaine remarked, placing his backpack next to Arthur’s surfboard.

 

“Time wasted on a trip home, to get everything I need, is time I’d rather spend at the beach. This way is quicker and suits me better,” Arthur smiled.  
  
“So who else said they’re going to the beach after school?” Arthur asked, making his way out of the parking area and turning left towards the quickest road towards the main beach.

 

“Oh, just Percy, Leon, Elyan, Lance, Gwen and of course you know Morgana isn't going to stay away when her boy Leon is there” Gwaine replied.  
  
“Gee is that all?” Arthur smirked sarcastically, stopping at a red light. “Hey, mate, are you hungry?” asked Arthur, seeing Gwaine eyeing “The Black Knight” pizzeria.

 

 “Whatever gave you that idea?” joked Gwaine before his stomach released a low angry rumble.

 

“If that’s the thunder, I don't want to see the lightning,” Arthur, just as his stomach made an even greater inhuman growl. ‘Okay, the angry bread baskets settled it for us. I'm stopping for a pizza,” said Arthur as the light turned green, making a bee line towards the pizzeria.

 

They headed inside, emerging fifteen minutes later with six boxes of pizza and a bag of sodas. “I know I have a healthy appetite, Arthur, but I don't think I can eat this much food,” Gwaine laughed.  
  
“Oh yeah? Remember my sixteenth birthday party? And besides I’ll bet you anything, that the others hadn't thought of bringing anything along to eat and are probably just as hungry as we are,” Arthur replied, getting back into the driver’s seat.

 

“Oh come on, Arthur. You know I was going through my growth spurt and I didn't eat that much anyway,” Gwaine huffed.  
  
“Four pizzas, a whole tub of ice cream, two bottles of soda and a quarter of my birthday cake, yet you looked like Milo from Disney’s movie “Atlantis the lost Empire”,” Arthur laughed.

 

“Oh hardy har, very funny,” Gwaine laughed. “Mmmm, dear sweet ambrosia!” said Gwaine, lifting up one of the box lids and whiffing at the delicious aroma.

 

“You said it. That is one attractive aroma?” Arthur joked.

 

“Hey, speaking of attractive, that guy behind the counter was pretty cute, don't you think?” Gwaine asked Arthur.  
  
It was well known throughout school, that Arthur was interested in boys, ever since he came out when he was fifteen. Uther didn’t take it very well, leaving Arthur alone in his study after telling him he needed time to take it all in. That night Uther came home to find Arthur sitting in his room, staring out of his window.

 

It was obvious the boy had been crying, but Arthur’s sadness seemed to fade away instantly, seeing his father wearing a t-shirt with the words “To the boys who want to date my son... I have no rule except for one. Go about and have some fun, but break his heart and you’ll meet my gun” emblazoned on its front.

 

Uther proceeded to tell Arthur that he would always love him no matter what, before he gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. That was also the day Arthur got the shirt that read “Yes, your gaydar is accurate” A coming out gift from his father.

 

“There is potential, I'll admit that, but he’s just not my type,” Arthur replied. Gwaine responded just by rolling his eyes. They made it to the beach after five minutes, seeing the guys tossing a Frisbee around, while the girls were lying on their beach towels, catching a few warm rays from the sun.

 

A group of other people were out in the water on jet-skis, but they weren’t anyone they knew. Making sure the coast was clear, Arthur and Gwaine stripped out of their jeans and underwear, and into their swimming trunks.  
Arthur grabbed his surfboard and two towels from the back of his car, and Gwaine carried the pizzas and bag of sodas.

 

“All hail King Arthur Pendragon, our beloved and generous ruler, who sought ahead to provide us with a feast,” yelled Percival, seeing the two of them approaching, followed by a chorus of “Here here,” as the others yelled in agreement.   
  
“Hey, I'm the one who brought the feast,” said Gwaine holding up the pizzas and bag of sodas.

 

“That may be so, my love, but I'm certain that it was our fair ruler who purchased the provisions,” Percival replied, imitating an old English accent, before taking the pizzas from Gwaine and giving him a peck on the lips.  
  
“Oh thank the heavens! I'm starving!” said Morgana, sitting up on her towel as Percival came towards them.

 

“I call dibs on the Meat-lovers,” said Lance, with Leon, Elyan and himself  running towards them.

 

“Don’t be greedy, sweetie,” Gwen grinned.

 

‘There are two Meat-lovers, a Hawaiian, a Regina, a Vegetarian and a Barbeque Spare-rib, so there’s more than enough to go around,” Arthur winked, spreading the boxes out on top of his surfboard, “ And here are some sodas as well,” said Arthur, placing the bag on the sand while the others started digging in.  
  
“Arthur, could you be a dear and rub some sunscreen on my shoulders? I’d ask Lance, but his hands are all greasy from the pizza now,” said Guinevere as she held the bottle of sunscreen lotion out towards Arthur.

 

“Sure thing,” he replied, taking the bottle from her and squiring some of the lotion over her shoulders.

 

“It’s cold!” Guinevere squealed, shuddering as he started rubbing the lotion over her skin.  
  
“Really, Arthur, you're supposed to warm the lotion up in your hands a bit before you apply it to a lady’s skin. Gwen's not one of your meat headed minions,” Morgana mocked, earning her a few disagreeing scowls. There probably would have been a few witty retorts if they weren’t all laughing at Gwaine who managed to choke a little when he tried talking with his mouth full.

 

“Oh come now, Morgana. I’d hardly call our group of boys here, meat headed minions,” Guinevere replied sweetly “They’re more like worker bees” she giggled.

 

“I suppose that makes me the queen, then,” said Arthur, an amused smile spreading over his features. “There! All rubbed in,” said Arthur, patting Gwen’s shoulders for emphasis, “Now if you'll excuse me, ladies, there are a few choice waves out there with my name on them” said Arthur, before grabbing his surfboard. The pizza boxes having been seized and sitting in each of his friends’ laps.  
  
“Wait for us, Artie,” said Percival, grabbing his own large surfboard and throwing Gwaine, who was still eating a slice of Hawaiian pizza, over his shoulder and started running after Arthur.

 

“You know we have to wait an hour before swimming, right?” Gwaine teased, where he hung like a ragdoll over Percy’s shoulder, lazily munching his pizza.

 

“Old wives’ tale, babe,” Percy replied when they hit the surf.

 

 “They make a cute couple, don’t they?” Guinevere asked Lance as he sat down next to her, offering her a soda.

 

“Yeah, I totally ship Perwain,” Lance smiled as his friends sniggered at his comment, “If only Arthur could find someone too,” he replied, sipping his own soda.  
  
“Tell me about it. It gets rather depressing when he mopes around the house al alone,” said Morgan, giving Leon’s hand a squeeze.   
They cheered as Arthur caught a big wave, showing off his agility by doing various stunts on his surfboard. ‘Show off!!!’ Morgana chuckled when he lay down on his board and started paddling back out to the water again.

 

“That was rather impressive, care to make it a little more interesting?” said Percival when Arthur joined them again.  
  
“What did you have in mind?” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Whoever can do the most tricks on their board, before wiping out, gets to be king for a week,” said Percival smiling deviously.

 

“Alright then, but what else?”

 

“Come again?”

 

“It’s no fun just getting to be king. I pretty much do that every day already,” Arthur replied cheekily.

 

“Alright, your highness, if you win, Gwaine can be your manservant for the whole week too,” said Percival, earning him a punch to the shoulder.  
  
“Oi! I'm not some piece of property for you to trade about like Pokémon cards,” Gwaine protested.

 

“I don't know, Perce. Gwaine doesn't look like he’s cut out for heavy lifting,” Arthur joked.

 

“Hey! These puppies can do anything this big lug can,” said Gwaine, flexing his biceps.

 

‘Fine, Artie. If you win, Gwaine AND I will both be your manservant for a week,” Percival replied.   
  


“Hey, watch where you're going, you moron!” Gwaine yelled at a jet-skier, who steered too close, spraying water in their faces.

 

“Sorry, bro. Just trying to enjoy the waves,” the guy yelled back.

 

“Arsehole, he did that on purpose. If he does it again I’m gonna knock his lights out. Everyone knows you're not allowed to jet-ski near the swimmers and surfers,” Percival replied, wiping the water out of his eyes.  
  
“Now, where were we?” said Percival after giving the jet-skier the evil eye.

 

“You were offering to be my slaves for a week,” Arthur mocked.

 

“Don’t count your trophies yet, princess,” Gwaine grinned.

 

‘Oh yeah, so how about it, then? Are you in?” Percival asked, his lips quirked into a sly smile.

 

“It’s a deal! And if you win, I'll be your manservant for the week,” Arthur said, holding out his hand towards Percival.   
  
“Then it’s settled,” Percival replied, shaking Arthur’s hand.

 

“You do realise we're going to get creamed right?” Gwaine asked Percival with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Don't worry, babe, you won’t have to dust off your maids outfit just yet,” Percival teased, “If we can pull off THE move, we’ll be a shoe in to win,” Percival replied giving Gwaine a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
Arthur went first. Catching a big wave he quickly got to his feet, making a perfect cutback and slowed down enough to enter the barrel of the wave. He emerged from the tube and started cross stepping forwards and backwards over his board. Arthur proceeded to turn the board up towards the lip of the wave, doing a perfect 360 before landing perfectly on the water again.  
  
The others on the beach cheered as he rode the wave all the way to shore, giving a short bow before he paddled back out again towards Percival and Gwaine. “All right, it’s your turn. I'll be expecting a Starbucks fat free Espresso in the mornings before school,” said Arthur as a smile spread across his face.  
  
“Oi, you haven't beaten us for sure yet, Pendragon,” Gwaine retorted as he held on to Percival, who had started paddling to catch another big wave.

 

“Ready, Gwaine?”

 

“As I’ll ever be, Perce,” Gwaine replied. Percival got into a drop knee position, letting Gwaine climb onto his back before he stood up. Gwaine threw his arms in the air as Percival lifted him up, making them look like they were figure skaters on the surfboard.  
  
The gang cheered them on as they slowed down a bit and got caught in the tube of the breaking wave. They emerged seconds later, Gwaine’s legs wrapped around Percival’s waist and facing forward, while Percival held him at his sides. They were performing the classic “Top of the World” move from “TITANIC” where Jack held Rose at the bow of the ship with her arms spread open.  
  
“Go, Perce!” yelled Lance, all of them chuckling at the pair. Arthur was clutching at his sides while laughing loudly at their antics. Percival took hold of Gwaine and leaned back trying to do a layback move, before his right foot slipped and they both wiped out falling into the water. Their heads popped up out of the water seconds later as the wave rolled on towards shore.  
  
Arthur was laughing so much he didn't even notice the giant wave that broke close to him, and was knocked off as it rushed over him. The strap from the surfboard came loose from Arthur’s ankle and he surfaced to see it rolling towards shore. Arthur dove underwater to evade another wave only to be struck against the head by the jet-ski guy who sprayed them with water earlier, as he surfaced.  
  
Arthur sank beneath the waves, his head throbbing where it connected with the bottom of the jet-ski. He opened his eyes slightly only to see the blue water of the ocean turn red with his own blood that was seeping from a gash on his head. He tried to swim to the surface, but every movement he made caused his head to throb with searing pain.  
  
The bubbles escaped from his lips as he exhaled the breath he had been holding, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. “ _Well, the ocean is as good a place as any to die_ ” Arthur thought to himself as he readied himself to enter the next life. Just as his reflexes kicked in, forcing him to inhale, he felt a pair of strong arms grab him around the waist. At first Arthur thought that it was Percival who had dived down after him, but the arms felt a little too thin to belong to him.  
  
As soon as the skin made contact, Arthur felt he could breathe again without choking on the water entering his lungs. He could feel they were rocketing towards the surface, faster than anyone he knew could swim.

 

He blacked out as his head broke the surface of the water, waking up later to find he was lying on his back on the sand, a pair of soft hands stroking his chest before one cupped the side of his cheek. He heard the person mutter something in a strange language, before he felt the side of his head tingle pleasantly.  
  
“Well, Arthur, it would seem that we meet again under the same circumstances as last time, though you're hardly a little fish anymore, are you?” said a handsome voice. Arthur forced his eyes open, willing them to quickly adjust to the sunlight, discovering a handsome young man staring back at him.

He looked to be around eighteen, same as Arthur. His long, wet raven locks were tucked behind a large ear, clinging to his neck and shoulders with water dripping from the tips. His full lips were curved into a relieved smile, accentuating his beautiful, prominent cheekbones. But it was the eyes, those sapphire blue eyes, which caused Arthur’s breath to get caught in his throat.  
  
“I-I remember you,” Arthur said, trying to sit up only to have the boy place a gentle hand on his chest, “You were the boy who saved me from drowning when I was little,” said Arthur, causing the raven haired boy to blush as he smiled wider, revealing perfect white teeth.

 

“That I am,” the boy replied kindly, ‘I’m sorry, I would love to stay, but I have to go. Your friends are probably looking for you,” the boy said sadly, before leaning down and placing a loving kiss on Arthur’s lips.  
  
“Who are you?” Arthur asked hazily as the boy broke the kiss.

 

“Someone who has been keeping an eye over you,” the boy replied, letting go of Arthur’s cheek as he started to leave.

 

“Wait!” Arthur yelled, as the boy lingered, “I don’t even know your name,” Arthur asked, sitting up quickly.  Regretting it immediately as his head throbbed and his vision became fuzzy.

 

“It’s Merlin,” the boy replied, before Arthur heard a splash, catching a blurry glimpse of gold and blue disappearing beneath the water.

 

“Merlin,” Arthur repeated softly to himself before he lay back down and blacked out again.


	3. More Than a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long :/ Real life is bothersome sometimes. Anyway I hope you guys like the new chapter. I made a drawing of a few possible merman tail and outfit designs which you can see here http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/7985487?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_26430540

Worry thrashed and churned in the pit of Gwaine’s stomach. It had been fifteen minutes since Arthur disappeared under the waves, a rescue boat of Lifeguards circling around the spot while a few dived under in search of his friend. Gwaine had seen Arthur’s board washed up on shore, deciding his friend had to be somewhere on the beach as well.

 

He took off towards the tide pools since no one else had thought to look there. “ _Arthu, if you’re dead, I’m never going to forgive you,”_ Gwaine thought, suppressing the sting of tears behind his eyes. “ _God, please let my best friend be alive,”_

 

He rounded a large rock, stopping for a split second when he saw Arthur lying motionless on the sand, the water lapping at his feet, before he bolted to his friend’s side. He breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Arthur’s chest rise and fall slowly. “ _Thank you,_ ”

 

“Guys, he’s here!!! I found him!!” Gwaine yelled.

 

“Is he dead?” Guinevere asked, joining him seconds later with lance at her side, her hands clasped over her mouth, cheeks stained with tears.

 

“He’s fine, Gwen,” Gwaine assured.

 

“Oh thank the heavens!” Guinevere breathed, wiping her eyes and turning into Lance’s embrace.

 

“Artie? Come on buddy, wake up,” Gwaine lightly slapped Arthur’s cheek.

 

Arthur’s face scrunched up into a frown as he groaned “Not now, Merlin, go away,” he mumbled, turning his face away.

 

“What? Come on, Arthur, we have to get you to the ambulance,” said Gwaine, shaking him lightly.

 

“Gwaine? What are you doing in my room?” Arthur replied groggily.

 

“Having a tea party, what does it look like?” Gwaine quipped, hoisting Arthur’s arm around his neck, “Lance, can you give me hand getting him back to the main beach? He’s kinda heavy to carry alone,”

 

“Yeah sure, buddy,” said Lance, taking Arthur’s other arm.

 

            *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

 

“Oh thank God!” yelled Morgana, running towards them, followed by two lifeguards.

 

“Lay him down on the ground, boys,” instructed the senior of the two lifeguards. Gwaine and Lancelot gently lowered Arthur to the ground. Arthur was more alert now and was able to sit up, but his expression was still hazy.  
  
“Son, can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?” asked the older lifeguard, holding up two fingers in front of Arthur.

 

‘Three?’ Arthur replied.

 

“Close enough,” said the lifeguard as he radioed the station to send the medics their way. Percival came running up towards them with Leon in tow. His knuckles were bloody.

 

“What happened to you, Perce?” asked Arthur, motioning to Percival’s hands.

 

“He beat the seven kinds of shit out of the guy who hit you with his jet-ski,” Leon replied, pointing towards a group of people near the water. The guy in question was holding his hand in front of his face, trying to conceal the blood that was flowing profusely from his (most likely broken) nose. He also had the onsets of a magnificent shiner of his right eye, as well as a very swollen left cheek.

 

A lifeguard was busy writing the bloke a ticket for not keeping to the designated area for jet-skiers, roughly putting the ticket into the guy’s hand before walking away unsympathetically, making his way towards Arthur and his friends. “How’s this one doing?” he asked the other two lifeguards, his eyes on Arthur.

 

“I think he has a slight concussion and judging by the blood on the right side of his head, I’d say he has a nasty cut where he was hit,” said the senior lifeguard, turning Arthur’s head to the side, “We'll have to wait and see what the medics say,”

 

“Hey! Where’s Merlin?” Arthur asked, jerking upright and looking around the beach.

 

“Who?” Morgana asked, kneeling down beside her little brother.

 

“He saved me,” Arthur replied, still looking about.

 

“I think you swallowed a bit too much seawater, little brother,” Morgana smiled, giving his cheek a gentle peck.

 

“Where is the patient?” asked one of two medics approaching the group.

 

“He’s right here,” said the senior lifeguard.

 

The medic, who was a young man probably in his twenties, knelt down in front of Arthur. “Can you give me your name, son?” he asked politely, taking Arthur’s wrist to check his pulse.

 

“A-Arthur,”

 

“Okay, Arthur, can you tell me what happened to you?”

 

“He got hit on the head by some wanker on a jet-ski!” Gwaine and Percival answered in unison, while the other medic busied himself with bandaging Percival’s bloody knuckles.

 

“Alright, do you feel any nausea or pain anywhere?” the medic asked, retrieving a small flashlight from his medical kit.

 

“No, sir, I feel fine,” Arthur replied.

 

“Well, let’s just make sure to be on the safe side,” the medic smiled, pulling his stethoscope from his kit, “Breathe deeply for me, please,” he instructed, before placing the cool metal disk against Arthur’s chest. He proceeded to flash light in each of Arthur’s eyes, gently pulling back the eyelids and checking the dilation of his pupils.

 

“Well, Arthur, your vital signs seem normal, all that’s left is to see if you need stitches for your head,” said the medic, as he gently started brushing Arthur’s hair aside. His expression turned to a scowl of confusion, pushing Arthur’s hair aside at different spots, “Are you sure this blood is from your head?”

 

“Are you blind?” Gwaine laughed exasperatedly, “Of course it’s his blood,”

 

“I’m just asking, because I can’t find a wound anywhere,” the medic shrugged, “So either you have a magnificent constitution or this blood isn’t yours,”

 

“You sure there’s no cut?” asked one of the younger lifeguards, eyeing the drying blood on Arthur’s face.

 

“No sign of a cut, laceration or scab,” replied the medic, moving the hair aside one last time, “there’s not even any sign of a scar,”

 

“You should count yourself lucky, son,” smiled the senior lifeguard, “Not many people walk away from something like this,”

 

“Well, there’s not much else we can do here,” said the medic, packing his things back into his kit, “From what I can tell, you have a slight concussion, so you’ll probably experience a few headaches for the next few hours. I recommend you stay off the road and take it easy for the next twenty-four hours,” he smiled as Arthur nodded in agreement.

 

“If there are any problems later on, just come to the hospital and ask for Pellinor,” the medic winked, walking to the side to speak with the lifeguards. Occasionally they would look over at Arthur before turning back to continue talking.

 

“Alright, guys, let’s move the party back to our place. I’m a bit over the beach for today,” said Morgana, helping Arthur to his feet.

 

“Oh yayeah!! Party at the Pendragons’ house!” yelled Gwaine, trying to act casual.

 

“Here’s your board, Artie,” said Elyan, making his way towards them with Arthur’s board under his arm.

 

“Cheers, mate,” said Arthur, reaching for his board only to have Percival grab it before him, “Wha-?”

 

“Sorry, Artie, but you’re not carrying anything larger than a towel for the rest of the day,” Percival smiled.

 

“Oh come on, Perce, I feel fine,” Arthur argued, making a grab for his board only to have Percival hold it high above his head, grinning triumphantly, “Damn you, Percy, for being a fucking giant,” Arthur laughed in defeat.

 

“Hey yo, Arthur, where are your car keys, man?” asked Gwaine.

 

“Can I trust you not to drive like a maniac if I tell you?” said Arthur, giving him a pointed look.

 

“Don’t I always?” Gwaine grinned.

 

Arthur rolled his eyes, walking towards the umbrella and retrieving his keys from inside his folded towel, throwing them to Gwaine who caught them easily, “That’s exactly why I’m asking,”

 

The three of them walked to Arthur’s car while the others busied themselves with packing up. They loaded Arthur’s board in the back of his Land Rover before Gwaine threw his arms around Percival’s neck, standing on his tiptoes to reach the tall boy’s lips with his own.

 

“I’ll see you at Artie’s,” said Gwaine, breaking their kiss.

 

“Drive safely, babe,” said Percy, throwing him a serious look before giving him a soft peck on the lips.

 

Arthur took the chance to look at himself in the vanity mirror, while waiting for Gwaine to get into the passenger’s seat. The right side of his face was caked in dried blood from a few centimetres above his temple to just below his cheekbone, with a few strands of his golden locks stained red where the cut must have been.

 

Arthur leaned back, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes, trying to recall the whole event. He snapped out of his reverie when he heard the car door open as Gwaine climbed in behind the wheel.

 

Gwaine turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life before he put the gears in reverse and backed out of the parking area. They drove in silence for five minutes, Gwaine focusing intently on the road with a sombre expression etched on his face.

 

“Well, it must be a world record,” said Arthur, his face turned toward the window.

 

“What is?” Gwaine asked without moving his eyes off the highway.

 

“It’s been a whole seven minutes that you’ve been completely quiet,” Arthur replied, turning to face Gwaine, “Mind telling me why I’m getting the silent treatment?”

 

Gwaine’s expression grew softer, his shoulders slumping in response.

“I’m sorry, Artie, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just…” Gwaine’s voice trailed off, letting out a long sigh, “I thought we’d lost you today,” said Gwaine, looking over at Arthur out of the corner of his eyes.

 

“Perce and I heard the thud when that dickwad hit you,”Gwaine’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, “Honestly, I have never seen or heard him yell with such fury,” he laughed humourlessly, “I’m quite surprised the guy is still alive, though it would’ve been different if I hadn’t found you. If Percy didn’t snap his neck, I sure as hell would have,”

 

Arthur looked at his friend, a pang of guilt stinging in his chest, “I’m sorry,”

 

“Sorry? God, Arthur! What on Earth are you sorry for?” Gwaine barked out in surprise, “It’s not like you woke up today and thought “ _Today I’m gonna get myself whacked on the head by a wanker on a jet-ski,_ ” did you?”

 

“When you say it like that, it does make more sense,” Arthur smiled, “It’s nice to know that I’ll be missed when I do finally bite it,” said Arthur, trying to lighten the mood.

 

“Oi, I’m trying to be serious here you twit!” Gwaine smiled, playfully punching Arthur on the arm.

 

“I know you are. That’s probably the reason the awkward levels are so high in here,” Arthur grinned, “Being serious doesn’t suit you, mate,”

 

“Arse!” Gwaine managed to smile, “So, do you remember what happened after you went under?”

 

“I remember some details, why?” Arthur asked, raising a dubious brow.

 

“Always so distrustful,” Gwaine rolled his eyes.

 

“To tell you the truth, I remember sinking, my head pulsing with pain whenever I tried to move,” Arthur looked down at his knees, “I remember thinking, “ _This is it, I’m going to die,”_ when I felt two arms wrap around me,” said Arthur, raising his head to look at Gwaine, “At first I thought it was you or Percy that dived down after me, but then I could feel getting pulled through the water faster than any of you could swim,”

 

“Oi, I’ll have you know that Perce and I are pretty decent swimmers, thank you very much,” Gwaine interrupted, “But go on, what happened next,”

 

“I woke up to find your ugly mug staring at me,” Arthur smirked.

 

“Avoiding the question with humour eh?” said Gwaine, raising his left eyebrow, “First off, Arthur Pendragon, it is rude to even suggest that this is nothing other than the pure embodiment of gorgeous,” he said, motioning dramatically at his face, “And second, you are a very crap liar,”

 

“I’d rather be called a liar than a nutter,” Arthur replied.

 

“I take it you are talking about this Merlin bloke?”

 

“See?! The whole tone of your voice says you think I’ve gone mad,”

 

“Arthur, you suffered blunt force trauma to the head, enough to cause you to lose consciousness. Now I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure that can cause your brain to go a bit silly,” Gwaine defended, his friend brooding in the passenger seat.

 

“Whatevere. I know what I saw,” Arthur huffed.

 

“Look, mate, I’m not calling you a loon or anything for that matter. As far as I’m concerned, Merlin or a guardian angel or whoever he is…” Gwaine exhaled calmly, “I owe him big time for saving you. If not for him, I would probably be on my way to your house to console your father instead of getting you home,” he said, giving Arthur a sad smile.

 

“Gwaine, I-“

 

“Don’t sweat it, Artie, we’ll have plenty of time to talk, because I’m inviting myself for a sleepover,” said Gwaine, as they pulled into the Pendragon’s driveway.

 

Uther was the CEO of a company that manufactured safety gear and multiple tools and equipment for various other businesses such as the mining industry and construction companies. He made enough money to have both him and his children set for life, thus being able to acquire a beautiful beachfront property.  
  
The house was a two story brick building with a red tiled roof. There were five bedrooms, six bathrooms (of which four were en suite with Uther, Morgana and Arthur’s bedrooms, along with one of the guestrooms), a study which was Uther’s refuge, a large living room with a home theatre system, a kitchen with enough food to feed an army, a dining room with an old English style dining table set, and to top it all off, a very big game room where Arthur and the boys would play on his various consoles for hours or play a game of pool.  
  
Their front lawn was small. A long flowerbed was made next to the front door against the house wall, adorned with blood red rose bushes, multiple coloured pansies and beautiful white lilies. Arthur’s mother, Ygraine, had planted the flowers when the family had moved in just before Arthur was born and Uther had maintained the little garden after her death.

 

Moon vine grew along trellis placed against the wall, the green tendrils twirling and curving all the way up to and around the two second floor windows. Attached to the house was a large three door garage, which housed all three the Pendragon’s cars along with a home gym. In the backyard they had their own private little beach.  
  
“Remind me again why we don't just come to your place whenever we want to go to the beach?” asked Gwaine when they got out of the car.

 

“Because the main beach is closer to school and I always have my surfing gear with me,” Arthur quipped, “Plus, Dad’s not constantly there to embarrass me or Gana,” he added, pointing at Uther who came out of the house wearing his favourite cooking apron. The words “IF YOU CAN’ HANDLE THE HEAT, DON’T MESS WITH THE DRAGON!” emblazoned in the front.

 

Uther wasted no time, running towards his son and enveloping him in a crushing hug, as he got out of the car, “My poor little boy! Are you okay? Let me see,” he said, letting go of Arthur and inspecting him from head to toe. “Are you in any pain? Do you feel nauseous?”

  
“Daaaaaad, I’m fine,” said Arthur, trying and failing to bat Uther’s hand away from his face.

 

“Morgana called and told me what happened. Are you sure you’re okay?” Uther inquired, eyeing Arthur’s red stained hair.

 

“Positive! The medics gave me the all clear,” Arthur smiled reassuringly.

 

“They said he has a slight concussion and that he should take it easy for the next twenty-four hours, Mr. P.” said Gwaine, who was carrying their school bags.

 

“Yes, thank you for that Gwaine,” Arthur said, through clenched teeth and a smile.

 

“Come on then, let’s get you inside so you can go clean up. Morgana and the others will be here shortly,” said Uther, pulling his son in for one more hug, “You are going to be the death of me,” he added, giving Arthur a kiss on the forehead.

 

Entering the house, they passed the kitchen, seeing that Uther had taken some steaks out of the freezer and stacked them neatly on two large plates. ‘Need any help with anything, Mr. P?’ asked Gwaine, while Uther started spreading some butter on a few buns.

 

“Not at the moment, thank you, Gwaine. Why don't you grab a shower or bath and I'll let you know later,” Uther smiled.  


Gwaine and Arthur ran up the stairs, dumping the two schoolbags on the floor of Arthur’s bedroom as they entered. The room was painted white, the walls covered in all manner of ocean themed decorations. A portrait of Uther and Morgana, which Arthur had drawn, sat on the bedside table, displayed in an elegant frame with a wave motif, next to Arthur’s king sized bed.  
  
Gwaine was admiring the picture, while Arthur was busied himself getting clothes from his closet for both Gwaine and himself, “Hey Artie are you still going to an art University next year?” asked Gwaine, picking up the picture frame.

 

“Yeah, I’ve already filled out a few applications,” Arthur smiled, “Hopefully everything goes to plan. Why?” asked Arthur, pulling out two pairs of blue jeans along with a red shirt for him and a light green one for Gwaine.  
  
“Just curious, is all. It would be a shame not to try and hone and refine a talent like this,” said Gwaine, indicating the picture frame before placing it back down.

 

            *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

 

By the time both boys had taken a shower and were dressed in fresh clothes, the rest of the gang had already arrived, munching away on the leftover pizzas and each with a soda in hand. The delicious aroma of meat sizzling over a charcoal fire, wafted through the air, assaulting Arthur and Gwaine’s senses.

 

“There you are,” said Percival, walking towards them, “Wow, babe, you are rocking that man bun,” he said, running a large hand over Gwaines hair, stopping just in front of the hair tie.

“I hope you weren’t busy messing with my boyfriend while you guys were up there, Artie,” Percival joked.

 

“I tried to, babe, but he said he was only interested if you were part of the package,” Gwaine teased, leaning up to give the tall boy a kiss.

 

“Oh you cheeky little bugger! You know I don't like sharing,” said Perceval, swatting Gwaine playfully on the arse, “Although, I think I could make an exception for Arthur,” Perceval winked at him.

 

“That’s okay, Perce. I wouldn't want to end up stealing Gwaine away from you,” Arthur smiled deviously, returning the wink.

 

“Don't worry, love,” Gwaine smile lovingly, “you’re the only one I have eyes for,” he said, snaking his arms around Perceval’s waist.

 

“Are you girls still talking or can we get this party started?” yelled Morgana, getting the remote to the stereo and started playing some music, eliciting a cheer from everybody.

 

Guinevere was in the kitchen helping Uther make a salad, while Lancelot, Leon and Elyan were out on the deck tending the barbeque. “Hey, Artie, how are you feeling?” asked Leon, giving Arthur a glass of mountain dew.

 

“I’m fine, Leo, couldn’t be better,” Arthur replied, taking the drink. They stood around the barbeque for a while, making small talk, laughing at the odd joke now and then and overall having a good time, despite what happened earlier.

 

It wasn’t long after, when Guinevere and Morgana brought the buns and salad outside and put it all on the deck table, before heading back inside to fetch plates and cutlery. The sky was a mixture of glowing yellows, pinks and orange from the sun disappearing behind the horizon, by the time the gang started eating.

 

After the meal, they sat around the table talking and sipping their drinks, when Uther came out with a few six-packs of beer.

 

“Now I know that nowadays soda doesn't quite cut it for kids your age, but try not to go too overboard. And if any of you have had too much, I don't want you driving home,” Uther stated seriously, “There is plenty of room for you guys to sleep over,” he added, placing the beer on the table.

 

“See you kids in the morning,” Uther greeted, giving Morgana and Arthur each a kiss on the head before retiring for the night.  


“Man, Artie, your dad is the coolest,” said Gwaine, grabbing one of the beers for Percy and himself, before taking his seat next to Percival.

 

“Is he going to bed already?”asked Guinevere.

 

“No, he’s most likely heading to his study to do some work,” said Morgana, taking a beer for herself. A few hours later everyone except Leon and Lance, had a pleasant buzz from the alcohol.  
  
“Come on, Gwen. I better get you and your brother home before your dad decides to kill me,” said Lance, helping Elyan to his feet.

 

“Bye, Arthur, thanks for a great get together,” said Guinevere, waddling over to give Arthur a hug.

 

“See you at the mall tomorrow, Gwen,” said Morgana, giving Guinevere a hug as well.

 

“I should probably get going too,” said Leon as he grabbed his keys. ‘See you tomorrow, babe,’ he said, leaning down to give Morgana a long kiss.

 

“See you, Leo, drive safely!” Gwaine yelled as Morgana got up to walk Leon to his car.  
  
“Knowing your sister, Morgana’s probably going to go to bed now that her bae has left, which just leaves us three for the rest of the night,” Gwaine smiled, before climbing onto Perceval’s lap. The moon was full tonight, its pale white light shimmering off of the ocean surface.

 

“So, this Merlin chap, is he good looking?” Perceval asked as he took a sip of his beer.   
  
“Oh, you have no idea,” said Arthur, recalling the boy’s face smiling at him, ‘It could have been a dream, but I remember he had long raven black hair, the bluest eyes ever to exist, coupled with skin about as pale as the moon and the most lushest lips I have ever seen,” said Arthur as he took another bite out of his half eaten burger.

 

“Wow! He sounds dreamy,” Gwaie smiled, “Well, Merlin, if you can hear us, thank you for saving this blonde wanker’s life,” said Gwaine, raising his beer in a toast.

 

“Well chaps, it’s getting late. Shall we turn in for the night?” asked Perceval as he stretched out and let out a big yawn.  
  
“You guys go on ahead, I’m gonna sit out here for a while longer,”’ said Arthur, smiling at the two of them. ‘Oh, and if you must, please keep the shagging noises to a minimum,” said Arthur as the two lovebirds headed inside.

 

“Can’t make any promises, mate,” Perceval grinned, grabbing Gwaine’s arse in a suggestive manner. Arthur just shook his head, turning back to look out over the ocean.

 

“I know you weren't a dream,” he muttered to himself and reclined on his chair to gaze at the stars, unaware that a pair of love-struck eyes were watching him from behind the black rocks beyond the shore.


	4. The Reluctant Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin returns home under the waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay :/ Hope you enjoy the latest chapter :)

Watching a certain golden haired human from afar, Merlin started moving a smidge closer to get a better look, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing onto his arm. “Merlin, what in Neptune’s name do you think you are doing?” said a young man with short brown hair and grey blue eyes.

 

“Let go of my wrist, Will. I know what I'm doing,” Merlin replied, yanking his arm free of Will’s grasp.  
  
“No! You’re going to land yourself in hot water if you keep this up! You already broke the rules once today,” said Will, trying to grab Merlin’s arm again.

 

“Breaking one simple rule is hardly anything to get your fins in a twist over,” said Merlin, rolling his eyes before returning their gaze back on Arthur.

 

 “One simple rule? Try two of our most serious laws!” Will whispered angrily, “Not only did you let yourself be seen, but you rescued a human from drowning!”

 

“And what would you have had me do, huh?” said Merlin, his voice in a whispered yell, “I don’t see the point in letting life be snuffed out when it can be prevented,”   
  
“The King isn’t going to be very impressed when he hears what you did,” said Will raising a dubious brow.

 

“Which is why I won't be telling him about it, yeah?” said Merlin, shooting Will a pointed look. “My father might be ruler of the ocean, but he can't control ME or MY life no matter how many ridiculous rules he sets in motion,” Merlin replied, a few large waves forming round them.

 

 

“Oh great, he’s going inside, are you happy now?” said Merlin, angrily pointing towards Arthur who was making his way towards the door.  
  
“Quite, now we can forget about your ridiculous idea and go home, before someone starts looking for you,” said Will, a smug smile spreading from his lips, “Come on, I'll race you back,” he added, quickly diving under the water, letting his smooth blue tail flash in the moonlight.

 

“Hey! Get back here, I’m not done yelling at you yet!” Merlin yelled, diving down after him. He spotted Will a few paces ahead, making his way towards the coral reef.  
  
Merlin flipped his caudal fin vigorously, zipping quickly through the water, turning right and taking a hidden shortcut. Will looked behind him to see if Merlin was still behind him. He had thought he was in the clear when he felt a body tackle him from the side.   
  
The two mermen laughed as they whirled through the water in a playful little wrestling match. “Hey! We were racing, not playing a game of tackle tag,” said Will, freeing himself from Merlin’s grip.

 

“I know, but tackling you is just a lot more fun,” said Merlin, swimming with a series of twirls around Will, his long raven hair flowing elegantly around him.

 

“You were just scared I’d beat you again, weren’t you?” Will teased.

 

“Will, the only times you win, is when I let you,” Merlin smiled smugly.

 

“Liar! I win because you have the agility and speed of a slug,” said Will, imitating a sea slug by slithering slowly over a smooth rock.

 

“Fine, then let’s continue our little race, shall we?” said Merlin, giving Will a knowing look.

 

“You’re on, Merls,” said Will, getting himself in a starting position.

 

Merlin lowered himself next to Will, feigning boredom, “Alright, first one to make it to the coral archway, wins. On the count of three-“

 

“THREE!” yelled Will, shooting off like a torpedo. Merlin rolled his eyes, taking off after his friend, quickly catching up with relative ease. Will looked behind him to see if Merlin was following him, smiling triumphantly when he saw the Prince was nowhere to be seen.

 

He startled to find Merlin looking up at him from below, smiling mischievously, “Tell me, Will, are you hungry?”

 

“Hungry?” Will panted, trying to quacking the pace of his tail movements.

 

“Yeah, because get ready to eat my bubbles!” Merlin taunted, shooting off into the lead. By the time Will reached the coral archway, clutching a stitch in his side, Merlin was lounging on a large, smooth rock, lazily tickling an anemone with his index finger.

 

“You took your time,” said Merlin, smiling triumphantly.

 

“I would have won if you hadn’t cheated,”

 

“What are you on about?”

 

“Merlin, I know you used magic to beat me,”

 

“The only one who cheated, was you. What with you speeding off before I counted to three,” said Merlin, crossing his arms, “I do not need magic or dirty tricks to beat you, Will. My body was built for speed, hence I cut through the water like shark teeth cut through flesh,”  
  
‘Gloat all you like, Merlin, but I still think you cheated,” huffed Will.

 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Merlin smiled, floating up from his perch.

 

“It’s getting late. We better get home before your father starts looking for you,” said Will, as the two of them started swimming towards a vast open clearing on the ocean floor. There was a brief vibration around them, the feeling of slipping past the surface of a bubble tickling over their skin.

 

The sensation passed, they continued their way towards the enormous coral reef which now occupied the space of the clearing. On top of it, a magnificent city, carved from the very coral it stood on. Stony coral made up most of the homes, the walls carved from large boulders with sheet coral acting as the roofs.

 

The homes varied in size, depending on how large the families they housed, though what caught the eye, was the royal palace. Located in the dead centre, it towered over the over every building in the city. Its smooth, pale white walls could be seen from kilometres away and its vast coral gardens were a sight to behold during the light of a full moon.   


Merlin pulled Will to the side, swimming out of sight of the two guards who were stationed outside the large granite doors of the palace entrance.

 

“Follow me,” whispered Merlin, stealthily swimming up towards an open window and slipping into the castle. Large marble pillars decorated the hallways, as they made up most of the support for the large stone roof. The walls had many elegant windows carved into them, along with the large doorways fitted with decorative scallop shell doors. Numerous urchin and conch shells decorated the frames of beautiful portraits that hung on the walls.   
  
There were gold and marble vases, housing various lovely ocean plants, placed on pedestals spaced three metres apart. A few little fish were always seen swimming around and through the vegetation, catching some of the plankton drifting close to the leaves.  
  
Merlin motioned Will to be quiet, as they made their way up the corridor leading to Merlin’s bedroom.  
  
“And just where have you two been wandering about, coming back at this time of night?” sounded a voice, startling the young mermen. They turned around to find Gaius, the court physician and Merlin’s magic instructor, staring at them unamused, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, “Well?”

 

“W-we were j-j-just...” Merlin stammered.

 

“Up gallivanting near the surface again, no doubt,” said Gaius, finishing Merlin’s excuse for him. “Well don’t look so surprised, Merlin,” said the old physician, seeing Merlin’s mouth hang agape, “I might be old, but I’m no fool.  Why if your father knew about this...”

 

“Y-you're not going t-to tell him are you?” said Will, visibly trembling with anxiety.  
  
“Please, Gaius, he would never understand,” said Merlin.

 

“As your teacher, it is my duty to tell the king when my student is up to mischief, but as your friend, I suppose I can keep your secret,” said Gaius, his face softening briefly, “Though you should have been practicing your spells with me since this morning, not gawking at the humans all day. Don't try to deny it, I can see it written all over your face,” said Gaius, cutting Merlin off as he opened his mouth to protest.  
  
“No offense, Gaius, your lectures do tend to get a tad…” Merlin flinched internally as Gaius’ brow raised a bit higher, “… boring? Besides, I don't understand why I have to practice magic,” said Merlin, pointing a webbed finger at a painting in the wall as his eyes flashed gold and the mermaid in the portrait started methodically  combing her hair.

 

“You might not need incantations or spells to cast, young merman, but you’d do well to learn them if you want to be in control of your magic and not the other way around,” said Gaius, surveying the painting, earning him a wink from the mermaid, “The Kings and Queens of Ealdor have always been renowned throughout the oceans for their command over the mystical energies that surround us,” said Gaius, turning his stern gaze upon Merlin, who dropped the spell and returning the mermaid to her original position.  
  
“Yes yes, I know this. Such as the protective barrier my grandfather Dragoon erected around the kingdom, shielding us from discovery by humans as well as keeping our enemies at bay, should we ever fall under attack,” said Merlin, rolling his eyes, “It doesn't take a lot of control to conjure up a shield, Gaius,”

“That may be true but, like you, Dragoon’s magic also reacted to his emotions. Do you not recall what happened to you a few years ago?” asked Gaius.  
  
“Yes,” said Merlin, lowering his eyes as the memory Gaius was referring to, flashed through his mind. Four older boys had been teasing him about his peculiarly large ears, calling him manta face among other things. Merlin's anger rose and without even intending to, there was a burst of bubbles, leaving four hermit crabs scurrying on the seabed where the four teenage boys had been.  
  
Balinor was furious (but proud of his little boy’s power) and had beached Merlin for a whole month. It wasn’t long after, that Merlin started learning how to separate his emotions from his magic, less it should flare up again when he got mad or upset.

 

“So unless you want a repeat of that incident, I suggest you be in my chambers first thing in the morning. For now, your highness, I wish you a good night,” said Gaius, patting Merlin’s shoulder, “William,” he nodded at Will, before his lionfish tail gave a few slow strokes and he disappeared down the hallway.  
  
“Well, Merls, I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess,” said Will, giving Merlin a hug.

 

“See you, Will,” said Merlin, watching Will swim out one of the windows, before he disappeared behind the seaweed curtain leading to his room.  
  
            *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

  
“Has there been any improvement, Gaius?” asked Balinor, looking out of a window, surveying the town below the palace.

 

“No, your highness, I’m afraid the young man’s condition is worsening,” said Gaius, watching the King slam his fist angrily against the windowpane.

 

“Were you able to find out anything new?” Balinor inquired, turning to face Gaius.

 

“He was able to give me some information that might prove useful. He said he had gone hunting in the kelp forest, that the water was thick with a strange taste and that not a single creature could be heard or seen near the area,” replied Gaius.  
  
Balinor floated around the throne room floor, his silver and emerald tail waving through the water in quick strokes, clenching his trident tightly while he caressed his goatee. “The kelp forest you say? That’s located not far outside the city borders. If what made the man sick is coming from the forest, then the barrier around the city will at least keep everyone safe,” said the sea king as he continued to pace.  
  
“Though we'll have to send out a scout. Whatever is causing this sickness, is not from the forest, of that I am sure,” said Balinor, his eyes filled with calculation. Balinor retrieved a small, empty vile from a table next to his throne. He tapped it once with his trident, causing the vile to fill with something resembling octopus ink.   
  
“Gaius, deliver this to the hunter’s wife,” said the King, handing the vile to the physician, “Tell her to let him drink the whole draght and the illness should be cured,”

 

“You have any idea of what may have caused the sickness, sire?” asked Gaius as he took the vile, studying it carefully.

 

“Oh I have a good hunch of what caused it, Gaius, but we'll have to wait and see what we find inside the kelp forest before I can be certain,” said Balinor, making his way to the window again.


	5. The Mind Can Be A Cruel Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur has a pleasant dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!! There is smut in this chapter!!! If you don't like smut, then do not read the smut, just skip to the last bit :P   
> If you don't mind the smut, please enjoy the read and let me know what you guys think ;)

Arthur sat on the beach just outside his house in his swim trunks, watching the moonlight glitter off of the water’s surface. The water was calm, save for a few gentle little waves dancing softly over the shore. Arthur sighed contentedly, listening to the steady sloshing of water hitting the rocks, before his eyes caught sight of movement in the distance.

 

The water bubbled and glowed as he saw a figure slowly emerge from the waves. He gasped when he saw long raven black hair followed by pale white skin, surface from the water, walking towards shore… towards Arthur.  
  
Arthur’s throat felt unnaturally dry, his heart racing within his chest when he saw the familiar figure walking towards him, completely naked. “Hello again, little fish,” said Merlin, smiling down at Arthur before gently cupping his and bending down to envelope Arthur’s lips with his own, in a deep kiss.

 

They broke the kiss, Merlin seductively tugging on Arthur’s lower lip, eliciting a soft moan from the blonde boy. “I thought I was hallucinating when I saw you,” said Arthur. Merlin just smiled, his sapphire blue eyes glinting with desire.  


“Did YOU think so? Or was it your friends, little fish?” said Merlin, standing upright and slowly, sensually gliding his hands over his chest and down his stomach.

  
Arthur swallowed hard, unable to stop himself from glancing at Merlin’s cock, where the large member hung heavily between his legs. Arthur’s eyes widened, seeing it starting to grow hard in front of him. Merlin knelt down, placing a soft hand on Arthur’s bare chest, pushing the blonde onto his back without any protest.

 

Merlin glided his hands lightly over Arthur’s chest and stomach, causing shivers to run down Arthur’s spine as goose bumps formed on his skin. He lay completely still, entranced as Merlin cupped his face and leaned down, giving him a loving kiss. Merlin’s hands started roaming over Arthur's body more hungrily, stopping at the waistband of his trunks to undo the strings, pulling the strip of Velcro apart without breaking the kiss.

 

Arthur gasped as a soft hand slid into his pants and long, nimble fingers wrapped around Arthur’s cock, stroking it from within its fabric confines. Arthur was painfully hard now, a steady stream of arousal leaking from the tip of his cock, soaking the spot where it pressed against the fabric while Merlin gently stroked up and down his length, lust burning within his luminous sapphire eyes while biting his lower lip in anticipation.

 

Merlin stopped stroking Arthur’s cock, grabbing the sides of his trunks and yanking them off in one strong pull. Arthur’s cock sprang free after being released from its restraints, hitting Arthur’s stomach with a slap.  
  
Arthur stared in awe as Merlin pulled his long raven hair behind his long, pale neck, before lowering down and engulfing Arthur’s entire cock down his throat. Ragged breaths escaped Arthur’s throat as wave after wave of pleasure washed through him, his eyes rolling to the back of his head in utter bliss, while Merlin expertly fondled his balls.

 

Arthur looked at Merlin questioningly, the raven haired boy having stopped sucking, throwing him a devilish grin while stroking his cock. His heart rate quickened, banging furiously against his ribcage, as Merlin threw his left leg over Arthur’s lap, straddling his hips and grinding their pelvises against one another. Arthur found his mouth assaulted by Merlin’s lips once again, locked in a kiss that would make even the most seasoned porn actor blush, without ceasing the gyration of his hips.

 

Arthur let himself get lost in the kiss, their tongues wrestling for supremacy over the other. Merlin would occasionally break the kiss, allowing time for a brief gasp of air, before locking their lips together once more. He tangled his right hand in the thick raven locks, letting his left glide down Merlin’s back to cup his pert soft arse, eliciting a low moan that vibrated from Merlin’s chest.

 

Merlin broke the kiss, sucking and pulling at Arthur’s lower lip with his teeth, sitting up and staring mischievously down at Arthur before reaching behind him to grab hold of Arthur’s aching cock.  He teasingly rubbed the tip against his hole, smearing Arthur’s precum all along his crevice. A shudder ran along Arthur’s body, caused by Merlin’s ministrations, eliciting a long animalistic growl from his throat.

 

Merlin slapped Arthur’s cock against his hole, before positioning it at his opening, letting the head slip past the tight ring of muscle as he lowered himself onto it. Arthur grew dizzy from the euphoria washing over him, as Merlin lowered himself lower and lower, until Arthur’s entire length was buried inside him.   
  
Merlin massaged Arthur’s pecs, while gently rocking his hips back and forth. The young blonde roamed his hands all over the slender boy’s body, lightly pinching his soft, pink nipples after rubbing over Merlin’s chest. A gasp escaped Merlin as Arthur closed his hand around his dripping cock, slowly stroking him in time with the rocking motion of his hips.

 

Merlin let out small grunts and whimpers which filled the air, along with Arthur’s deep moans and ragged breathing, bucking his hips upwards to meet Merlin’s thrusts.  


The raven haired boy’s breathing quickened, his orgasm erupting onto Arthur’s chest and stomach after a few seconds. “Oh yes! Fill me, Arthur,” Merlin whispered seductively as Arthur thrust into him one last time, before his climax erupted…  
  
Arthur’s eyes shot open, before he threw back his duvet to find his pyjama bottoms soaked from the aftermath of his dream. He looked over at his alarm clock, groaning in disapproval, the clock stating that it was four in the morning. He pulled at the fabric sticking to his groin, before getting up and making his way to the bathroom. He stripped off his pyjama bottoms as he entered the en suite, wiping away any remnants of the mess and dropping them into the laundry hamper.  
  
He flushed the toilet after relieving his bladder, before turning on the shower and climbing in, letting the refreshing hot water flow over his body. Vivid images of the dream flashed through his head, causing his cock to twitch. “It felt so real,” Arthur muttered to himself, wondering why the human subconscious had to be so cruel.  
  
He grabbed his citrus scented shampoo from the shower rack, squeezing a small amount into his hands, before lathering it into his silky blonde hair. Arthur rinsed off the shampoo suds, after massaging the lather onto his scalp for a few minutes, _“He must have been real. There is no way I could imagine such perfection on my own,”_  thought Arthur, grabbing his cherry scented body wash and lathering up his loofah sponge, before washing himself thoroughly.

 

He rinsed the soap off, rubbing his hands all over his body, taking extra time with his cock and balls to make sure he was squeaky clean. Arthur turned off the water, grabbing a towel and starting to dry off. He brushed his teeth before going back into his room, the towel wrapped around his waist.  
  
Arthur made his way to his desk, switching on the desk lamp as he sat down in his chair. He grabbed his sketchpad, rummaging through a drawer for his pencils and eraser. He flipped the sketchpad open to a clean page and started drawing, closing his eyes every now and then to recall what he saw in his dream.  
  
Merlin stared back at him from within the page, with the same lustful eyes Arthur had seen in his dream, about an hour and a half later. Arthur admired his handiwork for a few minutes, occasionally brushing or blowing a stray eraser crumb off of the page, closing the sketchpad. He got up, dropping the towel on the floor as he made his way towards his closet. He pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants, opting to go commando, along with a red t-shirt.  
  
He grabbed his phone as he opened the door, making his way downstairs. Arthur went towards the closed guestroom door and gently turned the doorknob, peeking his head inside. Gwaine was asleep with his head resting on Percival’s chiselled pecs and his left arm draped over Percival’s washboard abs.  
  
Percival had his own left arm wrapped protectively around Gwaine’s shoulders, hugging the brunette closer to him. The covers just barely covered Percival’s impressive package and were draped over Gwaine’s legs just below his arse, leaving his firm arse exposed. Arthur retrieved his phone, silently taking a picture of the two. “That better be for personal use only,” said Percival, his eyes still closed.

 

 Arthur startled, almost dropping his phone, “I thought you were still asleep,” Arthur laughed, putting his phone back in his pocket.

 

“Who could sleep soundly in a house where people spy on you when you let your guard down?” whispered Percival, opening his right eye and smiling at Arthur, while lovingly stroking Gwaine’s long brown locks.  
  
“I was going to make some coffee, would you like some?” asked Arthur.

 

“Sure thing, a cup of swamp water would be great, thanks,” Percival smiled.

 

“Three sugars and lots of milk, please?” Gwaine added lazily, tightening his grip around Percival’s waist.

 

“Morning, babe,” said Percival, placing a kiss on the top of Gwaine’s head.  
  
“I'll be right back,” said Arthur, chuckling at the two of them before closing the door behind him and heading towards the kitchen. The kettle was already boiling when Morgana came into the kitchen in her green striped pyjamas, her pink bunny slippers shuffling across the floor.

 

“Morning, little brother, two spoons of coffee, no sugar and three drops of milk, please,” said Morgana, yawning while rubbing her head.  
  
‘Morning, sis,” said Arthur, getting another mug out of the cupboard. He finished making the coffee, handing Morgana her cup before grabbing a tray and taking the other three mugs over to the guestroom. Arthur came through the door, nearly dropped the tray when Percival came out of the bathroom in all his naked glory.  
  
“S-sorry, I should have knocked,” said Arthur, avoiding his gaze at Percival and placing their coffee on the bedside table.

 

“What for? You mean this?” asked Percival, gesturing to himself as he nonchalantly made his way back to bed, “We're all guys here, Arthur. You have exactly the same equipment as I do,” Percival grinned, pulling the covers over his legs.

 

“Yeah, but nowhere near the same size though,” replied Arthur. Gwaine had a devious grin plastered on his face when Arthur made eye contact with him.  
  
“So, Artie, what’s on the agenda for today?” asked Gwaine, taking a sip of his coffee.

 

“I thought maybe we could call the rest of the gang and hang out here, or we could just leave it the three of us,” said Arthur, lifting his mug to his lips.

 

“That sounds like a plan, what do you think Perce? Just us three chilling in the Pendragon backyard beach,” smiled Gwaine, placing his hand on Percival’s chest.  
  
“Sure, I could go for a little R&R. And with no jet-skiers nearby, we won't have a repeat of yesterday’s events,” said Percival, eyeing Arthur before downing the last of his coffee.

 

“Alright then. Well, the two of you can go grab a shower in my room or you could have a bubble bath, if you want. I'll get breakfast going,” said Arthur, grabbing the tray and collecting the empty mugs, “Just put on some pants before you go upstairs,” said Arthur, before leaving the room.  
  
Arthur retrieved the frying pan from the bottom cupboard, switching on the stove before collecting some eggs, bacon, pork bangers and some butter from the fridge. Uther came down the stairs just as Arthur finished cooking the bacon, piling it neatly on a large plate. “My my, but aren't we productive this morning,” said Uther, staring at the bangers sizzling in the other frying pan, before giving his son a hug.  
  
“Morning, dad,” said Arthur, turning the sausages over after Uther broke the hug. “Can you keep an eye on the sausages while I quickly run upstairs, please? I need to ask Perce and Gwaine how many eggs they would like,” said Arthur, holding the cooking tongs out towards his father.  
  
Uther smiled, taking the tongs from Arthur and moving in front of the stove. “Thanks, dad. I'll be right back,” said Arthur as he ran towards the stairs. Reaching his room, he found Percival and Gwaine, towels around their waists, busy flipping through his sketchpad.

 

“Hey, Artie, who’s the hottie with the sexy bedroom eyes?” asked Gwaine, holding up the picture of Merlin.  
  
“That, my dear Gwaine, is my hallucinated rescuer from yesterday,” said Arthur, smiling at the two of them and crossing his arms.

 

“You mean to say, that this is that Merlin bloke?” said Gwaine.

 

“Real person or not, this is a really well done drawing, Artie,” said Percival.

 

“Thanks, Percy, anyway I came up to ask how many eggs each of you wanted for breakfast,” asked Arthur, leaning against the door frame.

 

“Two, please,” Gwaine and Percival answered simultaneously, “Sunny side up and a little runny, if you don’t mind,” Gwaine added. Arthur smiled at them and nodded before heading back downstairs.  


*                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

  
“That was delicious,” said Uther, after swallowing the last of his toast. The five of them had eaten outside on the deck after Arthur had finished cooking, the morning sun basking them in a warm light.

 

“You said it, Mr. P.” said Gwaine, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach in content.

 

“Yeah, thanks, little brother,” said Morgana, taking her plate and Arthur’s when she got up from the table.  
  
“Well I have a few things to do in town, do you kids need anything?” asked Uther, getting up from his chair as well.

 

“No thanks, dad, we're good,” said Arthur.

 

“Well then, I'll see you kids later,” said Uther, tussling Arthur’s hair and giving Morgana a kiss on the cheek as she came back outside.  
  
“Alrighty boys, I'm off to Leon’s. Try not to burn down the house while I'm gone, okay?” said Morgana, waving them goodbye with her keys in hand.

 

“See you later, sis,” Arthur waved back. Arthur, Percival and Gwaine cleared away the rest of the dishes and chucked them into the dishwasher. ‘Ok gents, I'm gonna go slip on my Speedo and grab a towel. Meet you guys outside.’ said Arthur heading towards the stairs.  
  
When he came outside again, he was wearing his red Speedo and his aviator sunglasses. His towel was hanging around his neck and he was clutching a bottle of sunscreen in one hand. Percival and Gwaine were already lying on their towels, their heads facing the ocean. “Hey can one of you rub some sunscreen on my back, please?” asked Arthur after splaying his towel open over the golden sand.  
  
“Sure thing,” said Percival, taking the bottle of sunscreen from Arthur. Arthur lay flat on his belly, hearing the cap from the lotion bottle pop open and making a squeaking sound as Percival squeezed a considerable amount into his palms. He rubbed the sunscreen over Arthur’s shoulders and back, before starting to massage it into his skin.  
  
Arthur felt goose bumps rise on his skin from the sensual touch. He heard Percival squeeze some more sunscreen into his hands and he held his breath when he felt Percival’s hands rubbing it on his upper thigh, moving very close to his toned arse.  
  
Arthur exhaled softly when Percival moved down his legs, towards his calves. “Here, you’ll get a better tan if you lose these,” Gwaine whispered into his ear, hooking his fingers into Arthur’s Speedo waistband and pulling it off in one fluid motion. Arthur wanted to protest, but Percival quickly started massaging his arse cheeks.

 

“Don’t want to get these sunburned, do we?” said Percival as he rubbed over Arthur’s firm arse.  
  
Arthur looked up, seeing that Gwaine had also shucked his swim trunks and was lying on his stomach. “Me next, babe,” said Gwaine, lowering his head onto his arms.

 

“There you go, Artie. I’d like to see the UV rays try and get you now,” said Percival, giving Arthur’s butt a light smack, signalling he was done.  
  
“T-thanks, Perce,” said Arthur, giving his friend a shy smile, before looking out over the sea. “You ever wonder what it would be like to live in the ocean?” Arthur asked after a while, breaking the silence and looking over to his two best friends. Percival had shucked his swimming trunks as well and was sitting on top of Gwaine’s butt, busy rubbing sunscreen on his back.  
  
“Honestly, Arthur, I’d say that considering the amount of time you spend in the water already, you might as well be living in it,” said Percival, moving lower down Gwaine’s back, running his thumbs in circles along the way.

 

“Yeah, I suppose you're right about that one,” Arthur chuckled.

 

“On the brightside, you wouldn't have to take another bath for the rest of your life, though you would probably gain an extra pair of kidneys when the water got too cold,” Gwaine said with a cheeky grin.  
  
“Alright, love, now do me,” said Percival, sitting down on his towel with his back facing Gwaine.

 

“I’m afraid I can’t do you when your buns of steel are blocked off by the ground,” Gwaine smiled, “Plus Arthur is right there,” he added, wriggling his eyebrows.

 

“You cheeky bugger!” said Percival, grabbing Gwaine by the arm and pulling him over into his lap, lifting him up to deliver a smack to his right buttock.

 

“Ouch!” yelped Gwaine, trying to wriggle his way out of Percival’s lap.

 

“Naughty boys earn themselves a spanking when they misbehave,” said Percival, giving Gwaines arse another resounding slap.

 

“Percy, stop it!” yelled Gwaine, already feeling the blood rush to a certain area. Percival and Arthur laughed heartily as Gwaine jumped up, Percy’s red handprint plastered perfectly on his butt cheek.   
  
Fifteen minutes later they were all sunbathing, having applied sunscreen to every vulnerable spot. Arthur turned on his back and started applying sunblock to his face and the rest of his body, taking extra care with his dangly bits. “What a beautiful sunny day,” said Gwaine, turning onto his back as well.

 

“Better enjoy it while you can, looks like there’s a storm brewing in the distance,” said Percival, pointing towards the horizon.  
  
Large dark clouds were whirling and clustering together, lightning flashing furiously within them. “That’s odd, the weather forecast said it would be sunny today,” said Arthur, pulling his sunglasses off to get a better look. The clouds were growing rapidly and moving closer to shore. “Come on guys, let’s get inside before the storm hits,” said Arthur, just as the wind started picking up and the waves turned violent.  
  
“Well, at least we got in a few rays before the weather turned to shit,” said Arthur, entering the house and shutting the glass doors. The sunlight had disappeared and it started raining heavily.

 

“We have a better idea to pass the time. That is if you're up for it,” said Gwaine, winking at Percival, who nodded knowingly.

 

“Oh yeah?” said Arthur, raising a brow.

 

“Arthur, you really mean a lot to us, and Gwaine and I have been talking…”

 

“Look, we all know how awful your first time was, what with you still being in the closet back then. And then there was that Vivian bitch who pressured you into having sex with her, and then made you feel like rubbish afterwards, because your little soldier actually had the common sense to be repulsed and drop his salute. The bitch even made Gwen cry when she called her out on spreading rumours about you,” said Gwaine, waving his arms dramatically, “If it weren’t for Morgana kicking her superior posterior, I would be in jail right now on assault and attempted murder charges. I mean honestly, she was just such a fucking CUN-”

 

“What Gwaine is trying to say,” said Percival, cutting Gwaine off and throwing him a look to stop talking, “is that we want you to experience your first time with a guy, with someone who cares about you,”

 

“Of course feel free to say no at any time if you feel uncomfortable. We don’t want to put you under any pressure. It’s just that Perce and I don’t want you ending up with some random asshat who is just going to use you...”

 

“What we mean is, we want you to experience a good time,”

 

Percival and Gwaine looked at Arthur, both having a faint blush spreading over their cheeks, trying to gauge his reaction. Arthur lowered his eyes to the side in consideration.

 

“Look, Arthur, I’m-”

 

“What did you guys have in mind?” Arthur asked curiously, cutting off Percival’s apology.  
  
Gwaine and Percival looked at each other in amazement, before their expressions softened. “Well, it involves you, me, Perce, a few candles and a nice, hot, relaxing bubble bath,” said Gwaine, moving behind Arthur, while Percival moved closer towards him. Gwaine gently slid his hands over Arthur’s shoulders and down his sides, sending shivers down his spine. Arthur swallowed audibly as Percival looked him in the eye, before the tall muscular boy leaned down, placing a tender kiss on his lips, while Gwaine licked and kissed along Arthur’s neck.  
  
            *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

  
“This is an outrage!’ yelled Balinor, bursting through the doors of the throne room, his trident aglow with fury.

 

“What is, mydear?” said Hunith, worriedly swimming after her husband.

 

“The gall those creatures possess, never ceases to amaze me,” said Balinor, “It’s not enough that they muck about, poisoning their own land, now they set their sights for the oceans as well?” Balinor added, his eyes flashing gold briefly, causing the sky to light up with lightning above the waters. 

 

“Calm down, dear, or you're going to hurt yourself,” said Hunith as Balinor slammed his fist against the table in anger.

 

“Stay calm? Hunith, my love, how can I stay calm when you, our son, our very kingdom is being threatened by the carelessness of those irresponsible, backward barbarians?” Balinor bellowed. “Ten! Ten barrels of toxic chemicals! That’s what we found waiting for us when we searched within the kelp forest, along with numerous dead crustaceans and fish. It’s no wonder there weren’t any signs of wildlife, and the poison was starting to take its toll on the plant life as well,” said Balinor, pacing around the room.

 

Hunith sighed lightly as she swam towards her husband, her long brown hair tied with strings of pearls, waving behind her. “And this was only in one spot. There’s no telling how many other dump sites these, these… CRETINS have!” said Balinor, looking outside at the rippling colours of the magic barrier. Hunith cupped her husband’s face, staring lovingly into his brown eyes with her blue gaze.

 

“You must stop judging all humans based on the misdeeds of the few. Not all of them carry evil in their hearts,” said Hunith, stroking his cheek.  
  
“That may be true, my love,” said Balinor, placing his hand over his queen’s, “but, until the day that I see a human that doesn't place its own wellbeing before others, in the face of danger, I will continue to treat them all with the same distrust and prejudice,” said Balinor, taking Hunith’s hand away from his cheek and swimming from the room, leaving Hunith behind, shaking her head sadly.  


*                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *  
  
Merlin was lying on his bed when Will knocked on the frame of his window. “Hey, Merls, what happened to the King to make him so angry?” asked Will, taking a seat beside Merlin. “The waves are raging furiously and a fierce storm has broken out over the waters,”

 

“The storm is only going to be the tip of the iceberg if I know my father. They discovered barrels full of toxic waste within the kelp forest. Apparently, humans have been dumping them there for some time now and it’s what’s causing the illness among most of the hunters. At least according to Gaius,” said Merlin, sitting upright.

 

“Speaking of Gaius, how did the lessons go this morning?” Will inquired.

 

“It was a complete waste of time, to be honest,” said Merlin, rolling his eyes. “It only lasted about an hour and even then Gaius was explaining the dynamics of spells I could do in my sleep. I thought I might die from boredom, before Gaius was called away to accompany my father on the search,” Merlin added, slumping back down on his sea sponge pillow.  


“If your studies were dismissed early, the why do you seem so melancholy? I swear, Merls, you’re the first Prince in history to hate being… well, a Prince!” said Will, frowning when Merlin’s only response was a shrug, followed by covering his eyes with his arm. Will sat deep in thought for a moment, before his face brightened with realisation.

  
“I know what will cheer you up,” he beamed, “how about we go and explore a shipwreck?” said Will, patting Merlin’s arm.

 

Merlin shot upright, “Did I just hear correctly? Did YOU, of all people, willingly suggest we go exploring sunken ships?” Merlin asked, raising a dubious brow, as Will nodded. “But you hate exploring the shipwrecks,” said Merlin, eyeing Will curiously.

 

“Yeah, but you don’t,” Will smiled.

 

The smile spreading over Merlin’s face was nearly blinding. “Will, you’re the best! Come on, Archimedes told me about a magnificent ship that sunk near Devil’s Chasm in the eighteen hundreds, the other day,” said Merlin, swimming towards his window.  
  
“The Historian? Merlin, that old guy is crazy! He talks to seagulls, for crying out loud!” said Will, following Merlin out his window.

 

“That might be true, but he’s never been wrong yet… so far, anyway,” said Merlin, swimming down the palace walls.

 

“I’m regretting suggesting this already,” said Will, before sighing loudly in defeat and going after Merlin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered making a flashback in the chapter of when Arthur lost his virginity, but I just let Gwaine ramble on about what happened. If you are interested in knowing what happened, leave a comment and if I receive enough interest from you, my dear readers, I will write a chapter about those events.
> 
> On another note, my headcanon for Balinor creating the storm, is that the weather near and over the sea, reacts to the mood of the sea King. Kinda like in "Aquamarine". Also, in the beginning of "The Little Mermaid" the sailors say that King Triton must be in a good mood because of the smooth sailing weather :P


	6. Looking For Treasure, Finding Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Will explore a sunken ships, but find more than what they bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a comment to know what you think ;) Enjoy

“Merlin, slow down, will you?” yelled Will, catching up to Merlin, “We already established that I’m not as fast as you,” he panted.

 

“For someone who goes on about how strong and fit you are, you really seem out of shape,” Merlin teased, poking Will in his stomach.

 

“Oi! I am perfectly fit as is,” Will replied, trying to subtly clutch at a stitch in his side.

 

Merlin rolled his eyes, smirking fondly at his friend. “Come on, slowpoke, or else we’ll never get there,” he beckoned, continuing their way towards their destination.

 

It wasn’t long before they saw it. Devil’s Chasm, the enormous rupture in the ocean floor, looming menacingly in the distance. Though he couldn’t fall in, Merlin had a foreboding feeling wash over him as they crossed its gaping, bottomless mouth, breathing a sigh of relief when they reached the other side.

 

“There it is, Will,” he exclaimed after scanning the area, “doesn't it look fantastic?” said Merlin, pointing at an old wooden ship, resting on the jagged rocks in the distance.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Will asked nervously.

 

“You're not getting cold fins now, are you? Besides, you were the one who suggested this,” said Merlin raising his brow.  
  
“I only suggested it to cheer you up!” Will replied, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms with a huff.

 

“Come on, or are you too much of a guppy?” Merlin teased, swimming towards the ship.

 

“I'll show you what a guppy looks like,” Will mumbled, following after Merlin.

 

“Looks spooky, doesn’t it?” Merlin smiled as they neared the wreck, its dark, tattered sails and seaweed covered shrouds waving ominously in the light water currents.

 

“I hate you,” Will glared at Merlin, who in turn stuck out his tongue at him.  
  
“Look! We can get inside through there,” said Merlin, pointing towards a large hole in the hull, near the ships bow. Piles of cargo crates lay strewn across the floor, covered with barnacles, small clams and anemones, just like the majority of the ship. “I bet we’ll find a ton of interesting human trinkets in here,” said Merlin, swimming up the stairs.  
  
Will lingered behind, looking around at the numerous bits of cutlery and silverware laying everywhere. “Why did I suggest we do this? This whole place gives me the creeps,” he said to himself, before swimming up the stairs after Merlin. Passing a room, Will paused when something shiny caught his eye. He cautiously entered the room, looking about before finding what caught his attention glittering from within an armoire, its doors ajar at just at a crack.  
  
Upon closer inspection, Will found that it was a golden amulet, bearing the elegant image of a dragon engraved upon it. Will tried picking it up, only to find that it was stuck, its chain wedged underneath the door. “Blast this constricting overgrowth!” said Will, seeing the doors were jammed by the plants and barnacles that grew along the hinges. He gave the doors a strong pull forcing them open enough to free the amulet.  
  
“Wait till Merls sees this,” he smiled, reaching for the piece of jewellery. As his fingers made contact with the metal, the doors of the armoire fell open, letting the skeletal remains of a human fall on top of him. “Aaarrgh!!! MERLIN!” yelled Will, swiftly backing up into the wall with enough force, to cause the rotting wood of the roof to collapse.  
  
Will raised his arms to shield himself from the debris, only to find it lying on the surface of a semitransparent golden bubble surrounding him.

 

“Can't I leave you alone for five minutes, without you almost destroying everything?” asked Merlin, his right arm outstretched towards Will and sapphire eyes alight with gold.   
  
“S-sorry, I saw this trinket. Thought you might like it,” said Will, holding up the amulet, “except the original owner had issues parting with it,” Will added, motioning towards the skeleton.

 

“That’s why you screamed like a girl,” Merlin chuckled, dropping the shield around Will.

 

“It surprised me! And I did not scream like a girl,” Will huffed angrily, handing the amulet over to Merlin. Merlin sniggered at his friend, examining the amulet before his expression went blank. “What’s wrong? You don't like it?” Will asked concerned.   
  
“No it’s not that. I love it,” Merlin replied quickly, slipping it around his neck, “but do you feel that?” asked Merlin, looking up at the hole in the ceiling caused by the collapse.

 

“Yeah I know, the water around here is freezing, can we go now?” said Will, rubbing his arms.

 

“No it’s not the water. I sense magic pulsing slightly above us,” replied Merlin.

 

“Well, let’s not disturb it then,” said Will, heading for the stairs leading to the exit.  
  
“Come on, let’s find out what it is,” said Merlin, swimming towards the hole.

 

“Merlin, get back here. I have a bad feeling about this,” Will yelled.

 

“You have a bad feeling about everything!” Merlin’s voice sounded from above.

 

“Yeah, but this time it’s different,” said Will, poking his head up through the hole in the floorboards. “Find anything yet?” he asked, swimming up to Merlin.

 

“Not yet, but the magic is getting stronger in this direction,” said Merlin, making his way down a hallway. “This way! It’s in here!” said Merlin, as they reached a door covered in anemones and seaweed. Merlin pushed lightly against it, the door swinging open with ease, revealing what must have been one of the noble passengers’ quarters.  
  
Inside Merlin cast a spell, lighting up the room. He grabbed hold of Will’s arm when the light revealed another skeleton lying against the wall near the bed. “Who's the guppy now?” Will teased. Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes before moving towards the skeletal remains.

 

His eyes fell to a chest clutched in the corpse’s bony arms. “Whatever is giving off the aura of magic, is in there,” said Merlin, pointing to the chest.  
  
“No, Merlin, it could be a trap,” Will whispered worriedly.

 

Merlin ignored him, cautiously removing the chest from the skeleton’s arms and setting it down on the bed.  Wiggling the lock, the rusty metal broke apart easily. Merlin slowly opened the lid to see what was hidden inside. “It’s… a book,” Merlin said surprised, lifting a thick, blue, leather bound book with a golden Celtic knot on the cover. Gold rings ran along the tome’s spine, threading the through the pages and cover.

 

“It looks to be in pretty good shape, for a human book that anyway,” said Will.  
  
“That’s because this is no ordinary book. Its magical aura is what most likely protects it, shielding it from ageing or any harm. I'd bet that this book is even older than this ship,” said Merlin, rubbing his fingers over the Celtic knot.

 

“Why would a book give off a magical aura?” asked Will, moving closer to get a better look.  
  
“Honestly, Will, isn't it obvious?’ asked Merlin, giving him an incredulous look, “It’s a spell book you daft sea slug,” Merlin added when Will shrugged his shoulders. “This book stems from the age when humans still possessed magic,” said Merlin as he placed the book back in the chest.

 

“Humans had magic?” asked Will.

 

“Yeah, but that was hundreds of years ago. Way earlier than when this ship sank. Gaius says they lost the knowledge during the dark ages,”   
  
“Alright, we came, we found something interesting, so can we leave now?” Will nearly begged.

 

“Sure, just let me grab this,” said Merlin as he picked up the chest. Turning to leave, Merlin’s blood froze within his veins, when he felt something grab him around his caudal fin.

 

“Kilgarrah’s Grimoire is not to be disturbed from its final resting place,” an ethereal voice echoed from the skeleton, his bony hand gripping tightly around Merlin’s tail.  
  
“Let him go!” yelled Will, hitting the corpse with his tail, sending its skull flinging towards the wall. “I told you I had a bad feeling about this, come on!” said Will, grabbing Merlin by the wrist and heading for the door.

 

“Return the tome to its watery tomb, or face the consequence of a gruesome doom,” a disembodied voice boomed, as an ominous green glow spread throughout the whole ship.  


“Gruesome doom? What does that mean?” said Will.

 

“I think we’re about to find out,” Merlin answered, as rattling sounded all around them with the bones of the dead crew and passengers reassembling themselves and coming back to life. The skeleton Will had found in the armoire, shambled towards them brandishing a cutlass. “Come on, this way,” said Merlin, pulling Will along to another flight of stairs leading to the deck. 

 

“Leave the book and forego this place, or an undead army you will face,” the voice echoed.

 

“Seriously? Were people really this lame back in the old days? “…forego this place… undead army you will face”? Who comes up with this stuff?” Will asked, his face scrunched up in distaste.

 

“Don’t antagonise it. Bad poet doesn’t necessarily mean not a threat,” said Merlin, sending a burst of magic towards the door, blowing it apart.

  
The bubbles cleared, revealing they were surrounded by a crew of undead when they came through the door. “Let’s see if these piles of bones can swim,” said Will, the two of them swimming up, out of reach.

 

“Will, look out!!” Merlin yelled, barely dodging the shrouds that were cut loose from the rigging, by a skeleton in the crow’s nest.

“What the-” Will exclaimed, getting entangled in the makeshift net, “Merlin, I’m stuck,” said Will, frantically struggling against his bonds, as he sank towards the deck. Numerous undead enclosed on him, their swords drawn.

 

“Will, hang on! I’m com-” Merlin’s words were cut off, as the crow’s nest skeleton swung down and kicked him towards the deck. Merlin caught himself with a strong thrust from his fins, managing not to drop the chest.  
  
A tall skeleton wearing a large hat, shambled towards him. “Give me that book, Boy! Or watch your friend die,” said what appeared to be the captain, pointing towards Will, who had a sword pointed at his throat, heart and stomach. “The power within that tome is far too chaotic, too dangerous for the eyes of mere mortals,” said the captain, extending a bony hand towards Merlin.  
  
“You have no idea what I am! I am no mere mortal!” hissed Merlin, his eyes flickering gold as his magic burst to life from his palms. The captain skeleton staggered backwards as a golden energy surrounded Merlin. “Your time in this world has long since passed,” said Merlin, floating up over the undead horde. “You shall not harm anyone ever again, now be gone!!” yelled Merlin, as golden arcs of energy struck each skeleton, causing them to yell out, the green glow surrounding them dissipating, letting the skeletons crumbled to the floor, lifeless once more.  
  
“Wow!” said Will, freeing himself. “Can you cut it a teeny bit closer next time? I don't think I have enough scars yet,” said Will rubbing his neck.

 

“You're welcome, you old blowfish,” Merlin huffed angrily, floating to the floor in exhaustion.

 

“Merls, are you okay?” asked Will, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder.  
  
“I’m fine. That spell took more out of me than I thought,” Merlin sighed.

 

“What did you do to them?” asked Will, looking at one of the bony piles.

 

“I broke the curse that was binding them to their remains,” Merlin replied wearily.

 

“Well, I think I’ve had enough exploring for today,” said Will, holding his hand out towards Merlin.   
  
When they were a small distance away, Merlin looked back at the ship one last time, clutching the chest under his arm. _‘For now at least,’_ Merlin thought to himself.

 

            *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *

 

Getting home was far easier. Merlin and Will had made it back to the palace without further incident. The chest lay empty on the ground, as Will sat on Merlin’s bed watching him struggle to open the book. “What’s the matter Merls? Tatty old book proving too tough for you to open?” Will teased.  
  
“It’s locked,” said Merlin, frustration etched on his face.

 

“How? It doesn’t even have a lock on it,” said Will.

 

“Thanks for stating the obvious, but a spell book doesn’t need a lock to be locked, genius,” replied Merlin.

 

“Well how are you going to open it then?” asked Will as he got up off the bed and swam towards Merlin.  
  
“ _Aperi_ ” said Merlin as his eyes flashed gold, yet nothing happened. “It must have some sort of password or a key,” Merlin groaned angrily.

 

“Let me have a look at it,” said Will, gently taking the book from Merlin. He ran his fingers over the golden rings on the spine, turning the book upside down and backwards, finally grabbing both edges of the cover and trying to pull the book open.  
  
Merlin sat at one side snickering to himself, as he watched Will struggle to open it. “I don’t believe it, we almost get killed by a crew of undead pirates for a book that we can’t even open!?” said Will, angrily flinging the book across the room.

 

“Hey no need to get violent,” Merlin said sternly, getting up to retrieve the book.  
  
“No need to get violent? Merlin, are you crazy? I almost got turned into sushi by a bunch of shambling human skeletons because of that thing. It’s all your fault that we landed in that mess in the first place!!” yelled Will.

 

“My fault? How was that my fault?” Merlin asked angrily, letting the grimoire float to the floor. “If it weren't for me, we never would have escaped...”   
  
“If it weren’t for you, we never would have needed to escape in the first place! You just couldn’t leave the book alone could you!” said Will, poking Merlin sharply in the chest with his finger.

 

“How was I supposed to know it would set off a curse?” said Merlin.

 

“That’s just the thing, Merlin, you never think things through! You never listen to me, you just go on and do as you please,” said Will, sharply poking Merlin again.  
  
“Well if you didn’t want me taking things from a sunken ship, why did you suggest we go exploring one in the first place?!” Merlin fumed, swatting Will’s hand away from him. His hair started waving in a swirling current, created by his magic.  
  
“I only suggested it so you wouldn’t be depressed!” yelled Will.

 

“Well you sure are doing a hell of a job cheering me up now! Besides, I wasn’t able to sense the book’s magic until YOU made the ceiling collapse,” Merlin yelled.

 

“It happened because I tried getting you that thing you’re wearing around your neck. Your obsession with humans is unnatural, Merlin,” said Will, giving Merlin a push.   
  
“Will, I am warning you!’ Merlin said furiously.

 

“I’m beginning to understand why the other kids called you a freak. Even your own father is asha-” A loud bang reverberated through the room, Will’s words cut off by a strong current blasting him against the wall with enough force to rattle the portraits that were hanging in Merlin’s room.  
  
Dazed, Will looked at Merlin to see his eyes were flickering gold, his long hair swirling above him. “Well if I’m such a freak then why are you friends with me, huh?” said Merlin, ripping the amulet from his neck.

 

“Merls, I’m-” Will began before hissing in pain when Merlin threw the amulet at his head.

 

“Get out! If hanging out with a freak is too much for you, then go hang out with all the “normal” merfolk and take that piece of whale shit with you,” Merlin spat angrily, pointing to the amulet.  
  
Will rubbed his head as he got up slowly, taking the amulet and heading towards the bedroom window. He paused looking back at Merlin, the young warlock facing the other direction. “Merlin, I didn’t mean to-”

 

“Just go!” Merlin said coldly. Will looked down sadly, swimming out the window and down the palace walls.  
  
Merlin turned around after a few moments, feeling guilt clenching at his insides. He wanted to yell out towards Will to come back, but he saw his friend in the distance swimming towards his home in the town below. Merlin breathed a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. He felt something metallic when he put his hand down, lifting it to see Will had left the amulet on his windowsill. Merlin picked it up, running his fingers across the image of the dragon.  
  
His eyes widened in realisation as an idea struck him. He swam towards where he dropped the book on the floor, picking it up and inspecting it closely. He noticed strange ridges in the centre of the Celtic knot and placed the amulet inside it. Almost instantly the dragon imprint started moving as though it were alive, shaking its horned head before opening its mouth.  
  
There was a faint rumble, before the book burst open. Merlin turned page after page, his face scrunching up in confusion. _‘What? Where are the spells and incantations? Or potion recipes and brewing methods?’_ Merlin thought, flipping through the pages, only to find each of them blank and untouched.

 

“Will was right, I almost got us killed for nothing,” Merlin sighed, tossing the book and amulet to the side on his desk, before lying down on his bed and drifting into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
